


Sea Shanties & Secret Whispers

by taibhse_nimhe



Series: Zorcy Collection [2]
Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: 1710's, Alcoholism, Alternative Universe - Pirates, Angst, Drinking, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Golden Age of Piracy, Implied/Referenced Sex, Percival "Percy" King Centric, Period-Typical Sexism, Pirate Zora Salazar, Putting that there just in case, Royal Guard Percival "Percy" King, Sea Shanties, Some Graphic Violence, again please excuse any spelling errors, aiming for more descriptions, also original sea shanties :), awww yeahhh history nerd time, hahahaha i like pirates of the caribbean too much, idk guys, oh don't mind me [proceeds to shove history and mythology in your face], or at least by my standards, ramsey is kinda just. a babysitter, references to Celtic mythology, relatively short chapters, starts in london but will likely go across europe/the atlantic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:29:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27879889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taibhse_nimhe/pseuds/taibhse_nimhe
Summary: After a drunken one-night stand at a local tavern with a mystery woman, Percival King was sure she would return to her regular job as a guard for King George II. Until one day she was met with the same woman, only to find out she was the notorious pirate Captain Zora Salazar of the Sundial.
Relationships: Howie Honeyglow & Percival "Percy" King, Mera Salamin & Indus Tarbella, Percival "Percy" King & Ramsey Murdoch & Zora Salazar, Percival "Percy" King & Zora Salazar, Percival "Percy" King/Zora Salazar, though you can take it as romantic
Series: Zorcy Collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2123535
Comments: 45
Kudos: 17





	1. Regret

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I'm back! I always wanted to write a pirate story, but I'm going to avoid the storyline for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies so it's more original. Updates will likely be infrequent, but I'll update as much as possible.
> 
> Also, most, if not all the sea shanties were written by me.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Percy slowly opened her eyes to the sound of...singing?

“Come, now, sing along~ To the darling’s sea song~”

It was a sultry sound, sweet and smooth. It flew naturally, like the gentle waves on a nice day at the beach. To be honest, it was lovely. If it were any other day, perhaps she would have enjoyed it more.

“Tug the rope to reach the hope~”

Percy slowly raised her body from the dense, flat pillow with a groan. As soon as her head left the pillow, a bolt of pain shot in her head. She brought her hand to her forehead and held it there, closing her eyes and furrowing her brows. _What...happened?_

“To see my...oh? Yer’ awake now?” The singing stopped, and was followed by a positive, low yet feminine voice. Percy could hear the thumping of heavy boots against the dusty floorboards, creeping up to the bed she resided on, and she couldn’t help but tense up. The light from beyond her eyelids disappeared as the thumping stopped, and she slowly opened her eyes.

She was met with the sideways face of a woman with long, dark brown hair and golden tattoos. Her eyes matched her dark hair, so dark she almost couldn’t tell where the pupil was. She smiled warmly.

“Mornin’, darling,” the woman spoke. Percy blinked a few times. _Darling?_ “Nice day, ain’t it?”

Percy looked towards the open window. She could see the bright sun shining down on London through her blurred vision.

“What...happened last night?” Percy questioned. The woman frowned and stood up, allowing Percy to get a better look at her. She was tall, by far the tallest person Percy had ever met, and the best way she could describe what the woman was wearing was “lazy”. A dirty, loose white shirt with the first few buttons undone was under an old open vest with tearing corners. She was also wearing well-worn pants and heavy leather boots, as well as a loose belt. Her hair was a mess, like she never washed it, and she reeked of alcohol.

“What~?” the woman drew out the word in surprise as she said it. “You don’t remember? Shame, a real shame. I guess you were pretty drunk, though, stumblin’ against me and all. But I do wish you remembered. I gotta say, it was a pretty fun night,” she let out a chuckle.

It took a minute of thought-searching for Percy to process her words and fully understand the situation. Her eyes widened once it dawned on her.

“You mean...we…”

The woman laughed. “Yep! You know it!”

Percy felt her face grow hot like the sun. She looked at her body. Not only did her head hurt, but her neck as well, and she had a feeling the woman in front of her was the reason. While she continued to look, her eyes dropped to her clothes, or rather, lack of such.

“Wh-Why am I not wearing any clothes?!” Percy shouted in shock as she gripped the thin blanket and pulled it in front of her.

“Whaddya’ think?” the woman smirked again as she tilted her head and leaned down, crossing her arms.

“Ah...right…”

The tall woman turned and grabbed her coat from the ground, continuing to sing. “Hoist the sails and hit the nails to see my darling~”

While the woman moved to the window and stared out, Percy quickly grabbed her own clothes. Her uniform as one of the royal guards was in a messy pile by the side of the bed. When she reached over, however, a sharp pain emitted from her back. 

Percy couldn't help but grimace at the feeling. It felt like she fell down the stairs, really. Pair that with the hangover headache, her neck and the strain of her stomach from what she believed was due to a lack of food… Last night must've been a nightmare.

Or perhaps in just her point of view.

The other person in the room, this mystery woman, seemed to have enjoyed the night. _"A pretty fun night"_ rang through her ears a few times. Percy was tempted to take her word for it. And the marks on her added to the claim. The other woman's intentions were...unclear. What was clear, however, was that it was a rather eventful night.

Percy quickly shoved on the white pants and matching shirt, ignoring the screaming of her back and neck, just to be safe. 

The woman in front of her sighed as the wind blew through her hair.

“London sure is pretty…” she trailed.

“I suppose,” Percy, as much as she didn’t want to, agreed.

“Not as pretty as the sea,” she continued as she rested her elbows on the windowsill.

 _She must be a fisherman, then,_ Percy concluded. _It would explain the lack of hygiene._

“Eyes like the ocean blue~ To which I sail through~”

Percy wondered who she was singing about. Could it be someone special, like a lover? No, that wouldn’t make sense. If that woman slept with Percy, then either she’s careless or that lover is gone. Or maybe it was just a song that floated around. Either way, Percy was curious.

“What is that song? Who are you singing about, if you don’t mind me asking," Percy said as she fetched her red coat. 

"Hmm… Nothin' special. Just somethin' I came up with this morning." She waved her hand in the air.

"I see…"

"And it's about one pretty little lady that I got to know _so much_ about last night." 

Percy took a step back and felt her face heat up again as the woman continued her singing.

"Hair like the golden sand~ Resting on the land…~"

A single drop of sweat travelled from Percy's forehead to her jaw. _This was strange. Too strange. This was a mistake._

After a few moments of the woman singing her song, she stopped to turn back around. She leaned back and held her body up with her forearms on the sill.

"So, _Percival_ … Is that what you said yer' name was?” her voice lowered as she spoke her name. “Think we can meet again sometime?"

 _I'd rather not_ , Percy replied in her head. She stayed quiet, instead of speaking.

"I'd love ta' have another drink, if you wanna meet up next time I'm in town," the mystery woman continued.

"Do you often travel?"

"You could say that," the woman sighed as she admired her disgusting nails. "Though I travel by ship, rather than on land," she looked up. "Savvy?"

"I see… You are a fisherman, correct?"

The woman laughed loudly at her response, throwing her head back and bringing a hand to her face. After she stopped, she stepped away from the window and towards Percy. Instead of going face to face, however, she walked until they were side-by-side and put her hand on Percy's shoulder.

The woman leaned in close and said, as clear as day, "Let's just say...I catch more than just fish.”

Percy furrowed her brows in confusion. _What is that supposed to mean?_

“Well, I should get going. We should meet again for sure,” the woman said as she walked towards the door, picking up her hat and placing it on her head as she did so. But before she could turn the knob, she stopped.

“Oh, that reminds me.”

The mystery woman opened her coat pocket and pulled out something that sparkled in the light. Percy couldn’t quite tell what it was from where she was standing.

“Here,” she tossed the small object to Percy. Percy had to move to the side to catch it, almost falling as she did so.

“A...golden pearl?” Percy mumbled as she held it up to the light. It was a bit larger than any pearl she had seen before, and its golden color shimmered in the bright sun shining through the open window. It was nearly the same shade of gold as the woman's tattoos. She held it close to her face to get a better look. She didn’t have the best knowledge on pearls, but Percy had a feeling it was relatively expensive. It was beautiful, after all.

“Think of it as a memento. So ya’ don’t forget this day,” she turned her head and grinned.

With that, she turned the old door knob and walked out, leaving Percy standing in the room filled with uncertainty.

“Huh…” she mumbled as she stood there in the dusty room for what felt like hours.

Who was that woman, anyway? Percy didn’t even ask for a name. Part of her wanted to chase after, another part said to put it behind her.

But she decided to stay in place.

This was definitely the strangest morning she had ever woken up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the sea shanty Zora was singing:
> 
> Come, now, sing along  
> To the darling’s sea song  
> Eyes like the ocean blue  
> To which I sail through
> 
> Come, now, sing along  
> To the darling’s sea song  
> Tug the rope  
> To reach the hope  
> To see my darling
> 
> Come, now, sing along  
> To the darling’s sea song  
> Hair like the golden sand  
> Resting on the land
> 
> Come, now, sing along  
> To the darling’s sea song  
> Hoist the sails  
> And hit the nails  
> To see my darling
> 
> (It's supposed to be repetitive, and imagine it has the same rhythm as What do you do With a Drunken Sailor.)


	2. Setting Sail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a short while to articulate, and it's a bit shorter. Most of this was actually typed out on my phone, so there may be some errors here and there. Despite that, I do hope you enjoy it. Also, thank you for your kind words and kudos!

Percy hadn’t realized how late it was until she arrived at the meeting. She wasn’t paying attention to the sun’s placement on the sky, her mind was too fogged with thoughts. _That woman… For some reason, she seemed...oddly familiar._

She tried to push it aside.

Percy followed the stone paths of London up to the fortification located in the back of the city. Its walls towered above, casting a dark night-like shadow over Percy as she walked over to the doors.

Once she opened it, she was met with a room crowded with fellow soldiers, guards and military personnel. They stood around a large, deep brown wooden table splattered with an equally large map of the world. On it were three lighter wooden markers; one on the west coast of Ireland, another on London, and the last on the center of Spain. But that wasn’t the most notable part of the room, rather, it was how all the members were staring at her, most crossing their arms in disapproval.

“So, Ms. King, you finally decided to arrive,” the man at the front of the table, the general, spoke.

“Yes, my sincerest apologies, sir,” she put a hand over her heart and bowed. “I had quite an...eventful night, you could say.”

The general raised a brow, barely touching the stray powder decorating his forehead from his wig. “I see…” he replied, eyeing a mark only vaguely visible from under her collar. Percy found herself sweating again.

“Now, that you have arrived,” he started, “it is time to begin the meeting. Despite you being…” the general admired his pocket watch, “two hours late.”

“Again, I deeply apologize fo-”

The general interrupted her apology with a gloved hand in the air.

“Ms. King, what was the reason we allowed you to take part in the military? Do remind me.”

“It was...due to my skills in solving crime,” she reminded, not only to the general, but also herself.

“Correct, and while I would naturally deny any _woman_ of working--in the military, no less--,” Percy internally scowled at his words, “you have proven your capabilities, and despite you being late, I still require your assistance.”

The general gestured her over to be next to him. The men stepped back to create a path, and she strided over.

The general pointed to the map. “You see this?” he dragged his finger across the map between each wooden marker. “This is each spot where one notorious criminal has been spotted multiple times. For example…”

He stopped at the marker overtop London.

“This is where she was last seen.”

“‘She’?” Percy asked with suspicion, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Yes. A _pirate_.”

The general closed his eyes and gripped the map. His face strained, his eyebrows furrowed low to his eyes, and Percy could swear he mumbled, “What a nuisance…”

With a sigh, he opened them again and let go. In exchange, he glared at the spot with a grimace.

“You may have heard of her. Ever heard of the name ‘Zora Salazar’? Captain of the Sundial?”

Percy knew of the name all too well. Captain Zora Salazar... Known as one of the most fearsome pirates alive. Percy could feel her fist shake. Those memories...

“Yes. I am very much aware of her dreaded existence.”

“Good. Then you shall be in charge of finding her.”

Percy froze in place.

“Pardon?”

“You heard me. You will be searching for Zora Salazar. Along with the help of my _men_ , as well. Unless…” he moved his gaze to Percy as he straightened his glove from the grip, “you don’t believe you _can_.”

“Of _course_ I can, sir,” she stared back up, her back straight. 

“Good,” he said punctually. “Then we shall depart immediately.”

 _Immediately? I suppose that does make quite a bit of sense, given she is one of the most dangerous criminals to ever sail the sea,_ Percy thought.

“Howard Honeyglow shall partner with you on your voyage,” he said as he waved his hand to another soldier, beckoning him to walk over.

Percy knew him well. Nearly as well as knowing the pirate, just in a different sense. They were long time good friends, one could say.

“Percival,” the fellow soldier walked over and addressed her.

“Howie,” she replied back and held out her hand, allowing Howie to shake it.

“Well, I can’t say I am unhappy with how you two are familiar with one another. Other members of the military shall accompany you two as well, but you both will be in charge,” the general nodded. “There is already a ship waiting for you at the port not too far from here. That will be all. You are dismissed.”

With that, the general fixed his hat and walked off.

 _That’s it? I overslept for a matter with such short instructions?_ Percy couldn’t refrain herself from sighing.

As the other men floated out from the room, including the general, Howie stared out the window at the bright sky in anticipation. He tapped his foot on the ground as lightly as he could, leading to a harmonious yet loud thump, like a drum.

Once everyone was gone, Percy crossed her arms.

“Now, where do we start..?” she pondered as she brought a hand to her chin.

“Well,” Howie replied as he turned his head back around, “we should first travel to Port Harley.”

He pointed at Ireland’s coast.

“This is a natural breeding point for pirates. Plenty of people become pirates here. Think of it as the equivalent to how plenty of people become drunkards at the local inn.”

Percy remembered how she woke up in one of the guest rooms at the inn. She hardly remembered what played out, but she had a feeling it had similarities with that equivalent, and that woman was at fault.

“Then we shall sail there first. To Port Harley it is,” she agreed. Howie nodded in return.

* * *

After they had finished their plan, they headed down to the port from which they shall depart from. Percy and Howie caught a carriage at the start of the road, and eventually made their way to their ship.

By the time they both arrived at the port, the crew had been waiting for quite a while, masking their impatience with false hopeful anticipation.

They formerly introduced themselves to them, as most of the crew wasn’t completely familiar with the two, specifically Percy. Percy primarily worked in the palace, but as of late she was transferred to the city, working more as an investigator than a guard. Howie, on the other hand, worked more in the line of helping others organize new plans for the city. Whether that be building new sites or managing repair, that was Howie's job.

Percy was sure the general only paired him with her because he was arguably the strongest in the army. Strange how it works that way.

When they boarded, the first thing Percy did was check the supplies. In case their voyage takes longer than expected, it's good to know if they have enough food to go around.

Afterwards, she admired the ship itself. It was quite grand, actually. Tall, wooden poles atop a perfectly smooth deck. Walls decorated with golden paint. Sails a pristine ivory white. Last, but certainly not least, on the back rested the title “HMS Dove”. Percy was surprised they were using such an expensive ship for something like this.

Finally, once everyone boarded, they hoisted the sails and set off into the great blue.

_Hoist the sails and hit the nails to see my darling…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Port Harley isn't a real place, if you're wondering. I'm setting up new places, since it's more difficult to find information of ports during the 1710's. Anyways, I ended up exposing myself on Tumblr after seeing some fanart of An Angel Named Percy, so thank you guys so much! I'll probably draw some art for this and my other fic on there (sentistrange is my username), but you don't have to look if you don't want to.  
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Port Harley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your comments and kudos! It means so much to me that you guys enjoy my work. This is (I believe) the longest chapter thus far, which is still on the short side, but that's okay. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

The days were slow, to say the absolute least. While the sea was beautiful under the sun, it was also boring. Seeing the same sight over and over day by day gets old, Percy had concluded. While above the sea was vast and empty, deep beneath was gorgeous, from what information Percy had found.

Oddly enough, the trip was also rather short compared to other voyages documented. It must've been the tiring environment that had dragged it out.

Percy passed time by either helping the crew or talking with Howie. They did have some pleasant conversations whilst they travelled, making talk about what could happen and planning any possible scenario that could appear and their outcome.

On one such occasion, a couple hours away from Port Harley, Howie explained recognizable characteristics of Captain Zora Salazar.

"Remember," he started as he added a large scoop of honey into his tea, "there's one key feature that makes Zora Salazar immediately recognizable; her golden tattoos. Her body is covered in them. Each tattoo is said to be a memory of her past, and all of them have a sun motif. So, if you spot a woman with golden tattoos that seem to glow like the sun, report to me immediately."

Percy spat out her nearly flavorless tea across the table and onto Howie. _No, it can’t be…_

She searched through her thoughts, trying to remember more of the woman. The more she tried to remember, the more her memories became foggy. She only remembered one notable feature.

Her breaths grew heavy and her eyes widened as she began to panic. She buried her face into her palms. _Her eyes… Her tattoos... Why her? Why? Why, why, why, why, why?!_

“Uhh...Percy?” Howie asked as he picked up a piece of cloth and wiped his annoyed and confused face. “You good?”

She slept with a _criminal._ A _pirate,_ no less. And a woman she had known long ago. A woman she wished to forget. She wanted to swear out to the world, to scream her worries away, but she couldn’t find her voice. Only her heavy breaths of fear.

All sounds drowned out; Howie’s voice, the waves of the sea, the shouting of men as the sails turned with the wind. All sound was gone, leaving her in a state of loneliness.

“Percy!”

Howie’s call finally broke her out of her thoughts.

“...Huh?”

“You broke out into a panic. Something you need to tell--”

Percy instantly stood up, her chair falling behind her as her legs hit the wood. Her hands slammed down onto the table as she hurriedly exclaimed, “I need to collect my thoughts!”

“Uh...alright…” Howie raised a brow and Percy swiftly left the deckhouse. She passed by her fellow crew members as she dashed to the stairs leading below the deck, all while they gave her odd looks.

Percy ran down the stairs and into her cabin, locking the door behind her.

“Oh my god…” she mumbled, out of breath. Her back slid down the door as she dropped to the ground. Percy dragged her hands down her face. “No… There’s no way that was her…”

Memories of her past effervesced, her mind clouded with that moment. The last time she had seen them, and the last time she hoped to see Zora Salazar. Life is never what you want it to be.

She curled up into a ball, hiding her face from the outside world. The sound of waves blew in from the open window as she sat there in the dimly lit room. She felt her eyes well up just a little as she buried her face deeper.

_Why her? Why was the woman-no, the person I despise most the one I slept with?!_

She must’ve been repeating that thought for hours, because at some point one of the crew members called, “Land ho!”

She sighed and furrowed her brows, wiping her face and standing up. Percy walked over to the corner of the room and picked up her sword; one of the best blacksmiths in London’s discounted weapons. She had gotten it at a surprisingly low price--which was still on the expensive side--with and equally surprising quality. Percy wondered every now and then how much it would have cost normally and how it became discounted.

She gripped the handle and with a swish of her hand she hooked the leather sheath to her belt. Percy looked towards the open window once it was hooked, managing to see the coast of Port Harley, Ireland.

The blonde woman shuttered and closed the window. She looked at her freckled reflection.

“Don’t panic, Percival. Bring Zora Salazar to justice, have her hang at the gallows, and forget this ever happened,” she reassured. “You’ve got this.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. With one last look out the window and a deep breath, she pivoted on her heel and opened the door.

One of the crew members was standing there, oddly dopey compared to the rest of the crew. He had a weird smile to him, and Percy couldn't recall greeting him.

"Uh- We reached land, Captain!" he exclaimed and saluted as a smile crossed his freckled face.

"Ah, I suppose we have. I do not believe we have formally introduced ourselves."

"Oh!" he grinned. "I'm Frederick Donaldson, but you can call me Fred. I'm kind of new to this, so I may mess up once or twice."

"I see…" Percy replied, perplexed. "In that case, you can call me Percy. We are officially a team, after all."

"Fred" laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand sheepishly. "Good to know. Well, then, Percy, it's nice to meet you!"

Percy nodded. "It is nice to meet you, too, Fred."

"Well, anyways, we should get going. We're close to catching that criminal."

Percy's body tensed. Fred didn't notice, as he had turned around and headed upstairs. "Y-Yes, we are."

Percy followed, straightening her uniform as she walked up the stairs. Once she reached the deck, the first thing she noticed was how much the sun had moved. It was nearing dusk, and soon the sky would become blanketed in stars. Days seemed to become shorter, she realized.

Percy felt her eyebrows lower down into a look of determination as they sailed over. She could spot the port town's docks, lined with ships of varying sizes. Aside from one other ship, theirs seemed to be the largest.

They had reached land in less than ten minutes. Howie covered the expense of docking; quite a large sum of fifteen shillings given the size. It'll be worth it, Percy knew it will.

While most of the crew stayed onboard, Percy and Howie searched the town for any hints to where Captain Zora Salazar could be found.

After a good hour of asking people around, they decided to split up. It was nearly nighttime, the sun setting over the blue sea. Percy began to feel anxious, so she decided to find the one place pirates were guaranteed to be found.

The bar.

The tavern was tall, grand even. The lights shone bright in the ever-darkening sky. She could see citizens from the broken window playing music and throwing rum bottles at each other. One guy was even thrown out the said window. _Dear god…_

The royal guard pushed the barely hinged doors and entered.

Immediately she was hit with the burning smell of alcohol. It was so strong it made her want to gag, but she pushed through it. She looked around.

Percy squinted to try to see the long haired, tattoo-bearing pirate. No luck from where she was standing.

"Need some help, darling?"

Percy quickly turned around to see on her left the woman she was looking for. Zora Salazar was leaning against the wall, her eyes narrowed and her lips in a smirk. Her arms were casually crossed and her left leg rested over her right.

" _You,_ " Percy scowled. "I knew I'd find you here."

"And to celebrate that, why don't we have another drink?" Percy hated Zora Salazar's voice. It was charming, smooth, and rolled off the tongue nicely, but also suffocating. It felt so unnatural for someone so cruel to hold that voice. She was sure that was the reason she was so charmed the night before.

 _Don't cause a scene_ , she thought to herself, _or she could escape_.

"I'm afraid I cannot accept that offer. Now, you must come with me," Percy spoke, monotoned, "or I will take you by force, Captain Zora Salazar of the Sundial."

In an instant Zora Salazar slung her arm over Percy's shoulders and leaned in close.

"You can call me Zora, y'know?" she whispered, barely audible amongst the chaos of the bar. Her breath held the stench of rum, and Percy couldn't help but gag.

 _Great. She's intoxicated_.

"Oh, c'mon, you'll get used to it."

"What do you mean 'used to it'?" Percy cautiously asked.

"Well, if we're gonna meet up so often, we'll probably end up drinkin'. At least when yer' drunk it's easier to handle,” she laughed.

" _I refuse_. I am here to bring you back to London to be executed for your crimes, Zora Salazar," Percy spat her name as she reached a hand to grab Zora Salazar's arm. Before it could reach, however, the pirate took hold of her wrist. She yanked the other woman close so their bodies were touching. She brought a dirty hand to Percy's cheek and laid it there, caressing it with her thumb. With her other arm, she let go of Percy's wrist and linked it around her waist, locking her in.

"Oh, really? You and what army?"

"I-" Percy couldn't finish as she felt a sudden pain in the back of her head, breaking her words with a shatter.

The last thing she saw was the pirate turning her head to someone else and smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a Cytus II reference, good luck finding it. :)


	4. The Sundial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Birds.

Just like the other day, Percy had woken up in an unfamiliar space.

This time, she was awoken by the waves of the sea, rocking her awake. It wasn’t forceful or anything, but it was just heavy enough to wake her.

The bed she rested on felt more like a large plank of wood covered with a blanket; a thin one at that. It was as if it was made on a whim.

When Percy lifted her head, she felt yet another pain, this time more like her head was smashed with some sort of bottle. _Was that what happened...?_

She stood up from the “bed” and looked around. She was below deck, in a dusty, old room nearly black if not for a small window. There was a thick, open book on a scratched desk in the corner, with pages torn and drawn on with ink. On the pages were depictions of rodents, with each hair incorporated into the drawing. Rather nice drawings, actually.

The small window to her right showed the vast ocean, a dark blue field flowing for miles upon miles. She could also hear the faint yelling of a man over the waves.

_Another prisoner. Nay, her crew. Of course._

Percy brought a hand to her belt, about to grab her sword, only to realize it was gone.

 _Drat..._ Percy internally swore.

That’s when she noticed a note by her bed. It was a torn page with the penmanship of a wild animal. Percy picked up the note and held it close, deciphering it.

“‘Sorry I had to take your sword. Blame Zora, not me.’”

The guard furrowed her brows.

Suddenly, she heard a gunshot from above deck, followed by a scream, and instinctively jumped back in alarm.

“A victim at the cursed hands of a villain…” she mumbled to herself. “Perhaps I could save them, and we could escape on a rowboat.”

Percy, after a deep breath, opened the door and headed upstairs.

As she got closer, she could hear a conversation she never thought could exist.

“Goddammit, Zora, stop shooting the birds!”

“What~? I thought you hated birds!”

“Yeah, but I don’t want bird corpses everywhere! You're gonna force me to clean them up!”

Percy knitted her bushy brows in confusion as she crept closer. Once she reached the deck, she realized what was happening.

One man was running around the deck, trying not to trip over dead seagulls. Zora Salazar was shooting the large flock of seagulls flying above them with a perfect aim, each one making a gross thump as they hit the floor, one even falling on the man’s head. He screamed as Zora Salazar laughed.

After a few more minutes, the man noticed Percy staring from the staircase.

“Hey, uh, Zora, she’s awake…”

Zora Salazar turned away from the man as all the birds flying disappeared. The man began to timidly kick all the birds into a fallen barrel with a grimace on his face. 

“Well, hiya, darling!” she shouted with a wave of her hand, her rolled up sleeve showing off her damn arm tattoos.

“Zora, why do you call her ‘darling’? That’s kinda weird, y’know…” said the man.

“Shut up, Murdoch,” she pointed her pistol directly at his face. “You wanna end up like the birds?”

“Forget I said anything!” the man replied, frightened, allowing a smirk to slide across the pirate’s face. He returned to kicking the seagulls into the barrel to toss overboard.

Percy cautiously walked over to the much taller woman, who was laughing at the man.

“Where is my sword?” the blonde woman questioned as she straightened her back.

“Oh, that? Had ta’ confiscate it,” Zora Salazar smirked as she jerked her head over to the ledge.

“No…” Percy fumed. “You _threw_ it over?!”

Zora Salazar began to laugh, throwing her head back. She slapped Percy’s back.

“Oh, we can’t have someone like you tryin’ ta’ escape, can we?”

“I’m not part of that ‘we’!” the man shouted from across the deck.

“I said _shut up, Murdoch_!” Zora Salazar shouted in return. As the two started bickering, Percy took a couple steps back, until she had reached the edge of the ship. She turned around and leapt onto the railing, preparing to jump into the boat she expected to be below.

But there was no boat there.

Percy began to lose balance, and would’ve fallen into the sea if not for a grip on the collar of her coat.

“Ah, ah, ah, yer’ not goin’ anywhere,” Zora Salazar said from behind.

“I’d rather swim my way back to land than sail with you!”

“Good luck with that,” the pirate smiled as she tossed Percy’s body back onto the ship like she was a sack of rations. Percy felt her back crash onto the deck with a thud, followed by her head. She winced and let out a groan.

Right as the pirate began to walk away, Percy took hold of her ankle and yanked her down onto the floor, her face planting on the ground.

“Why, you…!”

As Zora Salazar turned onto her back, Percy climbed on top and began to slam her fist into her chest with all her might.

“This is what you _get_ , you filthy _pirate_ !” Percy yelled as her fists collided with the other woman's chest. “For what you _did to my family_ ! For what you did to my _home_!”

Zora Salazar rolled them over and pinned Percy down. “Ooh, you wanna go there, huh?” She smiled sadistically.

The blonde woman headbutted her on the forehead, leading to both of them recoiling in pain, before going back into their fight.

“Holy shit, guys, stop!” the other person on board yelled as he ran over. He pushed the captain and Percy away from each other. “What are you two, _cats_?! Stop fighting, it’s a pain to clean up. You already knocked over a barrel of rum, I don’t want to be the one to clean this up!”

Percy, breathing heavily, looked across the deck. Indeed, the floor was now wet and reeked of rum. Percy could feel the alcohol soak into her coat, the stench seeping onto her.

“Too bad, Ramsey, yer’ cleanin’ it up!” Zora Salazar stated as she got up. “Dammit…”

The pirate stormed over to the deckhouse, swung the door open, and with that, she disappeared.

Percy stood up as well and squeezed whatever rum she could out of her coat with a huff.

“Sorry about that. She gets like that sometimes,” the man said as he picked up a dry rag hanging on the ledge of the ship. He tossed it over. “Here.”

Percy caught the rag and used it to release as much rum from her hair as possible. She sighed.

She hadn’t paid attention to what the man was wearing until now. He was a bit shorter than the pirate, and had an eyepatch over his right eye. She could barely see a long scar drag down behind the patch. He was dressed similarly to the captain, except a bit messier, and his reddish hair was tied low behind his head.

“Is your name ‘darling’ or something?” he questioned.

“No, it by no means is. She just started calling me that the other day.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“Wait,” Percy stopped and turned her head to the man. She leaned close, “you know?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, everyone on this ship knows.”

“And… just how many people are on this ship...?”

“Just the two of us. Well, now three.”

Percy looked at him in confusion. “If it’s only you two, then who’s steering…” she looked up at the steering wheel, seeing no one but the wind, “...the ship...?”

“Zora likes to ‘go where the wind takes her’,” the man explained.

_Then I’m stuck in the middle of the sea. With the worst woman in the world._

“You call her ‘Zora’? Not ‘Captain’?” Percy asked, perplexed.

“You could say she doesn’t care for formalities,” he responded. “What was your name? You never said.”

“Ah, I’m…” Percy considered refraining from using her name, but there wasn’t really a point now that she was stuck with them. “Percival. You may call me Percy, if you’d like.”

“Alright, Percy. I’m Ramsey. Ramsey Murdoch. And I’m sorry about last night,” he added.

“Last night? Why?” Percy replied. The last thing she remembered was--

“Because I, uh, smashed your head with a bottle,” he rubbed his neck. “Blame Zora, not me. She’s the one that blackmailed me in the first place.”

“She...blackmailed you?” Percy asked, intrigued.

“Y-You know what?” Ramsey quickly dodged the topic as he began to nervously sweat. “Why don’t you get changed, and I clean up before she gets mad at me too?” His voice pitched higher at the last point.

“Oh, alright… It was nice meeting you, Ramsey,” Percy replied as she began to walk downstairs. He nodded lightly and let out a hum in agreement.

When she reached her room and took off her coat, leaving her in her white shirt and pants, she realized something.

_Wait a minute... Do I even have any other clothes? Drat._

Percy looked around for anything else to wear. She assumed it was _her_ room after all. Unfortunately, there was nothing.

“Perhaps I could ask Ramsey. He seems kind enough. He must have some clothes that he is willing to spare.”

Percy dropped the coat on the bed and headed back upstairs onto the deck to look for Ramsey.

Once she made it up again, all she could see was the spilled rum and the remaining dead birds. Other than that, the deck was completely barren.

“Ramsey?” she called. No one answered.

She walked across the deck, searching for the man, but no one was there. Percy walked past the deckhouse door, catching a clip of sound from a broken window. The guard crept closer to the window while still staying out of view. She could hear the two other people on board chatting with one another.

“Zora, you gotta calm down."

"Calm down? I am calm."

"You _clearly_ aren't. Why did you even catch her in the first place if you guys are just gonna fight?"

"We need her. That's all I'll say."

"Zora, we are stuck on a ship and you refuse to steer, so I have _no clue_ where we're going. Is there _any_ chance, any at all, that you know what you're doing, or have you gone mad?"

"Listen, Ramsey. I wanna spend time with her, got it? We need information."

 _Information?_ Percy thought. _Why would they want information?_

"Hey, you should stop drinking, or you'll pass out."

"I'm not drunk. I just need to lighten myself up."

"I hate to say this...but I worry about you sometimes. You said before we're a team, right?"

"Since when did’ja start carin’ 'bout me?"

"You know what? Give me that."

"Wh- Hey! Gimme back my rum!"

"Nope. I'll give it back in a bit, got it? You need to stop."

"Son of a bitch… Fine. Fine! Then just go ahead and leave. I need ta' think."

With that, there was silence. Percy heard Ramsey open the door and was about to walk over to ask, but he beat her to it.

Without even a glance, like he knew she was there, he pointed his thumb to the open door and simply said, "Ask her."

"Oh… Alright," she replied.

Percy opened the door and was greeted to a dirty, dark room that was only lit by one singular candle on the middle of a large table. The table was decorated by rusted over dishes covered with bones and rotten fruit, among other things, left over from meals long before. There were also three empty bottles near the other woman in the room, presumably where she got the rum.

The pirate... Zora, had her back turned to the door, hunched over on her chair and was staring out the back window. There was another chair on the other side of the table, facing the woman. She was humming a song that Pery couldn’t recognize, but felt oddly familiar. It wasn’t the same song as before, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling she’d heard it before.

Percy walked over and slid onto the chair.

"Zora Sa-... Zora, I require a change of clothes," she informed.

"Yeah, sure… Check the closet in the corner." She pointed over to the corner. "You can wear something from there."

Percy noticed a rough closet in the corner and headed over. It was tall, almost touching the roof, but the hinge was slightly broken, just enough for a creak.

She picked out a shirt and pants nearly identical to Ramsey's and was about to leave when she noticed a peculiar letter tucked under a drawer on the bottom of the closet. She glanced at Zora, who wasn't paying attention, and picked up the letter as quietly as she could. She hid it under her new clothes.

"Thank you."

It felt so strange saying that to the pirate. It wasn't right, to say the least. But she pushed it aside. She was stuck here, a ship--the Sundial, no less-- on an endless sea with no destination in mind.

Percy opened the door and went back to her room, leaving Zora alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter thus far and is about my preferred length. Thank you for reading and your lovely, sweet comments! I was really excited to write this (hence being updated the next day), so again, thank you for reading!


	5. The Letter & The Tales

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this just as it becomes Christmas. So for those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! Hope this satisfies you.

Percy travelled back downstairs as sneakily as she could. Without realizing, her body was aching in curiosity. She had never stolen anything in her life, and her first would be a  _ letter _ , of all things. As she crept, she also couldn't help but feel a strong wave of anxiety.

_ What is in this letter? Why was it hidden? Why am I even taking it in the first place? _ Percy felt her hands tremble in a mix of emotions, emotions she couldn't even describe. They were so...unusual. So strange, so unfamiliar to the guard.

Percy reached her room in safety. As soon as she entered, she quietly closed the door and blocked it with the desk's chair, just to be safe. It was exhilarating, but frightening at the same time.

She slid onto the bed, tossing the clothes aside, and admired the letter's already broken seal for just a moment. It was gold wax, somehow sparkling, and had the letter "K" on it.

_ Strange… _ Percy thought.

She opened it with caution, and began to read the gently stained paper.

Except she couldn't.

There was nothing on the paper, it was completely blank. It must've been a mistake; someone,  _ somehow, _ made the mistake of sealing an empty letter.

"That's...peculiar," she mumbled.

Percy was about to tear the letter into pieces, but then she stopped.

_ No… There's got to be something that's here. _

The woman looked around the room and spotted a burnt-out candle on the desk. Next to it was a striker.  _ Perfect. _

Percy stepped lightly over to the desk with the letter and picked up the striker. She held it over the candle, and with a few hits, a spark of light appeared, igniting it. She smiled in accomplishment.

Percy carefully held the letter over the fire. As the paper began to darken, she watched words appear.  _ Lemon juice. _

Once each word became visible, she moved the chair back to its place by the desk and sat down. With a quiet voice, she began to read the letter.

"'Mr. Salazar,

"'I am here to ask you to find my daughter. Her name is Percival. I'm sure you've heard of her. She was taken away from us when she was younger by the guards of London, miraculously spared from the gallows. She's like you and I. She's also a…'"

Percy stopped, her eyes widening like saucers.  _ No… This can't be true… _

"A pirate."

Percy spun her head around in alarm. Zora was standing there, in a nearly identical position as she was at the inn the night before. She fell out of her seat and hit her head on the wall. The letter fell out of her hand, but before it hit the ground, Zora caught it.

"You found the letter."

“Um-”

"Don't think I didn't notice. I'm smarter than I let on."

Zora held out her hand to help Percy up. "Here."

"Why...?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping me up after our fight? The fight  _ you _ started."

"Yer' the one that grabbed my leg."

"You know what-?"

"Just take my hand."

Percy sighed and reluctantly gripped onto the other woman's hand. She immediately wanted to retract as she felt how sticky both their hands were from the rum they both have yet to change out of.

Zora walked over to the bed and sat down, beckoning Percy to follow suit. Percy sat down next to her as she opened the letter.

"You see this?" the pirate pointed to the name at the top of the paper, still visible. "This is my pop's name. It ain't no misspelling, if that was what you were thinking."

"I...see. But I remember my parents being framed for  _ piracy _ , because of  _ you! _ They were at the gallows… You're saying they  _ weren't _ ? They were…" Her body was shaking in fear, in anticipation, for what would be said next.

"Yep. They're pirates. And yer’ confusin’ me with my mom," Zora casually slid her hands back on the sheets, supporting her.

Percy felt the world begin to crumble around her. It was a lie. It was all a  _ lie _ . Her parents were what she feared--what she  _ hated _ the most. It ran in her blood. There was no escaping it…

"So...they're alive?" she cautiously asked, eyes wide and staring directly at Zora.

"Well, that's what we needja' for. Ta' bring you home. Yer'  _ real _ home."

Percy stayed silent, not sure what to say and how to say it. It was all so confusing. She hated it. She hated what had become of her.

"Listen, Percival--"

"Percy."

"...What?"

"It's…" Percy paused, then exhaled. "It's only fit for you to refer to me as Percy, if I...am to refer to you as Zora."

Zora smirked. "Yeah, I guess yer' right. Yer' stuck with me for now. Well, me 'n Ramsey."

Percy was sure in some alternate timeline that they could've been friends, that she would've laughed at those words. But instead, she felt lost. Lost in the sea, the sea of no return.

"Anyways," Zora patted her still rum-soaked back, causing chills to go down Perch's spine, "you need ta' change."

"Ah...yes, I suppose I do."

“I’ll be upstairs if ya’ need me.”

_ If I need her…? What does that mean? No, I’m overthinking it. _

With that, Zora walked out, closing the door gently behind her.

Percy picked up her new clothes--despite them not looking as such--and began to change. As soon as she took off her shirt, her body was met with the cold breeze from the still open window. She shivered and quickly shoved on the dry shirt Zora had lent her.

All the while as she changed, she was hit with more worry. Despite how they had come to more...friendly terms, she still questioned the honesty of the words the pirate told her.

But she remembered the contents of the letter. Those words... The message was daunting.

_ Stop thinking about it. _

She’s stuck here, like Zora said. Stuck with two pirates; one of which exposed her parents. Lovely. Just lovely.

Once she was dressed, she headed back upstairs to the deck.

When she reached the deck, she was met with a sight she wasn't expecting. Again. Strange how that works. This "crew" was just filled with surprises, she guessed.

Ramsey and Zora were near the bow, hanging out like friends did, eating bread and sharing a bottle of not rum, but water, from what she could tell. Zora had (thankfully) changed, so at least she'll feel slightly more comfortable.

Percy walked over to them and joined the conversation.

"So that's when we were met with Cro-- oh, Percy, yer' back," Zora turned her head and acknowledged Percy's existence, breaking her dramatic tone from her story. Her messy hair blew in the salty air as she turned, and a welcoming grin made its way across her face.

"Yes. May I have some bread? It's been quite a while since I have consumed sustenance."

The other two pirates laughed at her words.

"You-You really don't need to be so formal, Percy," Ramsey stated as he gestured his hand in front of himself.

Percy shuffled uncomfortably and tilted her head. "This is simply how I talk…?"

"Yeah, sure, keep tellin' yer'self that."

Percy furrowed her brows, then went back to her original question.

"Again,  _ may I have some bread _ ?" she reminded stiffly. Ramsey handed over a lump of bread, and Percy took a bite out of it.

It was...stale. It had an odd taste that she couldn't pinpoint.  _ Was it sourdough? Just...extra sour? _

She held back the gag that threatened to pour from her mouth.  _ At least it's food… _

"So, as I was sayin', my old crew and I found this cave, lookin' f'r some treasure, y'know? The usual biz." Zora moved her hand around, scattering it in front of her, as if setting the scene. "And that's when we saw it. Crawling from the shadows came  _ Crom Cruach _ ."

Ramsey held back his confusion. "Wait. Crom Cruach isn't real…?"

"Oh, yes, it is. This one,  _ this one _ , was the biggest creature I've ever seen. I've seen a variety of things, y'know? This was at  _ least _ fifty meters tall, no joke."

"...Huh?"

"We barely escaped. I had ta' shoot it with this here pistol," Zora spun the gun around her finger, "right in the eye. Too bad we never got that treasure. Lost a lotta good men from that creature. And that's the story of how I lost my crew, too."

Percy had never heard of such a tale. Ridiculous as it may, it was alluring, and she wanted to learn more. Granted, she had only heard stories of the fae whilst frequenting a local library in London, but nothing like Crom Cruach.

"Do you have any other tales?" Percy asked.

"Well, yeah, tons of 'em. Like one time I came across this selkie, who I gotta say was  _ gorgeous _ . In human form, that is."

"Oh, I think I've heard of this one…" Ramsey trailed off.

"Yeah, and I remember so vividly that her name was Mera. Ain't that a name thatcha' hear often. I even made a song 'bout 'er," she chuckled.

Percy nodded and took another bite.  _ What strange stories… _

"What 'bout you, newbie?" Zora nudged Percy with her elbow. "Got any tales?"

"Not that I can think of…" Percy pondered over her memories…

"That's a shame. But I've got some--" Ramsey started, but was met with a palm pushing on his face, making him drop the bottle of water. Percy caught it before it shattered into the ground.

"I ain't askin' you, Murdoch."

"F-Fine, whatever…"

Percy changed the topic as to not bring any more harm onto the man. Heaven knows what happened before she boarded.

"On another note, where are we coursed to travel to?"

Zora turned to her and stuffed the last of her bread into her mouth. In a muffled voice, she responded, "We're goin' where the wind takes us. Which'll lead us ta' hopefully more clues."

Ramsey hit his forehead with his palm.

"What do you  _ mean _ 'hopefully'?"

"That's how I find everythin'. Pretty simple," Zora smiled.

Percy sighed. But out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a small island. Ramsey followed suit, pointing at the small plot of land.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked as Zora turned her head. She smirked.

"Yep, we're here. The Selkie Coast."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of Tomm Moore references (not a lot, but still) is so daunting to me, haha... Props to those who know Celtic mythology! And thank you guys for your support!


	6. The Selkie Coast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: there is graphic violence in this chapter, so please keep that in mind.  
> This was the chapter I had the most fun with, and I believe it's also the longest (which I am glad about). And I couldn't help but shove more mythology into this, haha.

In a matter of minutes the ship somehow sailed to the Selkie Coast, despite the opposing wind. Oddly enough, there were heavy, ash-grey clouds over the small island seemingly in the middle of nowhere, darkening the area.

The island itself was rather tiny, at least compared to any island Percy had previously visited. It was rocky, and Percy could see the sand-decorated coast surrounded by heavy boulders the size of herself, sharp ones at that. The bay was protected by said rocks, with a small opening at the front, directly where the ship was headed.

The Sundial, golden sails and all, passed through with ease. And with that, they had arrived at the Selkie Coast.

The ship stopped midway into the bay, across from a small cliff protruding from the water. The sky's grey atmosphere led the area to have a gloomy feel to it, adding to the mystery.

"Alrighty, my trusty crew, we have arrived!" Zora laughed. Ramsey cringed at the use of "trusty crew", his odd, rodent-like face scrunching.

Percy looked around. "Why have we stopped midway to the shore…? That seems inconvenient."

"Who said we were goin' to the shore?" the captain smirked.

The guard--was she even a guard at this point? Percy wasn't sure--huffed.

That's when Zora began to sing again. Ramsey sighed and rested his arms on the edge of the ship.

"Mera the selkie~ Beautiful is she~!" she sang loudly into the cold, empty coast, her voice echoing. "Mera the seal~ Beautiful ain't thee~!"

Ramsey began mumbling along to the song he must've heard a thousand times beforehand. "Follow the selkie, through the seaweed… Follow the seal, through the deep blue sea…"

Zora swayed from side to side and slung her arms over Ramsey and Percy's shoulders as she sang, as if they were jolly sailors. Percy felt an intense feeling of awkwardness as they continued, not knowing the words.

Suddenly, there was a crash of a wave hitting the cliff. Percy moved her foot back in alarm. When the water fell, all that was left was a seal, resting on the rock. It was grey, but had a blue tint to it, from what Percy could see.

"Ah! There she is! Oi, Mera, over here!" Zora waved as if she wouldn't have been noticed anyways.

The seal, supposedly Mera, let out a bark, before the skin began to morph and...open?

The thick layer of skin peeled back as a woman stepped up onto the rock. She was pale, frighteningly so. Her hair was long and blue like the sea, and her eyes were like an icy sky. She was completely bare, but had no genitalia, like she was some sort of otherworldly being. Percy never knew such a creature could exist.

In a way, she was breathtaking. Fragile, but breathtaking. She held a strange beauty to her, like a shining blue ember, if one such thing could exist, with a touch of bitterness to her.

"What do you want this time?" the woman asked, sliding down into a sitting position with one leg dangling and the other to her chest.

"Hiya, Mera! Just stoppin' by, you know!"

"Like you ever just 'stop by'."

"Alright, listen," Zora's tone took a turn to the opposite spectrum, her voice serious, "by any chance you recognize her?"

The captain pointed to Percy.

"She...does look familiar. Wait," Mera stopped. "Why would I tell you addle pates anything? The last time I saw you, we were supposed to trade a human for information, but you  _ never did _ ."

"Fine. This time I will."

"Hold on, Zora. Think for a moment. You really wanna do this?" Ramsey rested a hand on Zora's shoulder, anxiety washing over his face.

"Well, if it means findin' what we need, then I'm willing ta' trade ya'," Zora patted his hand with a gleeful, strangely warm smile.

"Z-Zora!"

"Zora, pause for a moment," Percy firmly interrupted. The other two crewmates turned their heads to her. Percy let out a calm smile, before spinning toward Mera.

"We will trade information in exchange for Ramsey."

"What?!  _ no _ !" Ramsey whispered, his mouth ajar and eyes filled with fear.

Zora laughed. "I like the way you talk, darling!"

"Do you promise this time? Cross that crooked, dirty, blackened heart of yours?" Mera glared.

"I hereby decree, under the rule of my king King George II, that I shall keep thy promise," Zora stated as she held her hand in the air, swearing her oath to those words in a false british accent.

"Oh, dear  _ Lord, no _ !"

"Hmm… Fine, I'll tell you what I know," Mera started as she cleaned her fingernails. "She looks like Captain King, who last I remembered came in maybe...three months ago? He also asked for information about this girl named Percival, I remember. He said he lost her sometime between fifteen and twenty years ago. He also asked about your father," she pointed to Zora, "and what he was up to."

"Ahh, my old man," Zora mused. "Been a while since I saw him, that's f'r sure."

"Anything else? Any at all?" Percy leaned over the edge of the ship.

"Let's see… I'll tell you more if you give me something in return."

Zora's eyebrows lowered down to her eyelashes and took out her gun. She pointed it directly at Mera's forehead. "Ramsey and that's it. I know how fragile you are, Mera, and I won't hesitate ta' shoot you."

"Then I guess you won't get anymore information. If you want their whereabouts, I'll be happy to tell you in exchange for--"

A shot rang through the area, causing Ramsey to jump in alarm. It was followed by a scream coming from the selkie. She fell back behind the rock, and Percy could see in the beginning mist blood on her arm.

The selkie pulled her body back up with the opposite arm, a groan emitting from her lips as she did so. The blonde woman witnessed her bloody, right arm broken apart and bones visible.  _ She really was fragile, _ Percy shuttered.

"Damn you, you  _ filthy pirate _ !" she swore.

"Alright, Zora, let's just go before she gets even more mad!" Ramsey panicked as he took a few steps back.

"Ramsey, you get up to the quarterdeck," she pointed to the stern of the ship. "And Percy, you go hide yer' precious face. I'll handle this."

"Wh-!" Percy stuttered. "No, I am not leaving. If I am part of your crew, I deserve to fight alongside you."

Zora laughed. "Alright, you passed the test. Now let's do this!"

Zora pulled out a second gun and shot it towards the selkie again, this time hitting her lower arm.

"Gah…!" she cried and breathed heavily. "Dammit!"

"Percy, take this," Zora instructed as she tossed a pistol at Percy. She caught it perfectly. "Aim for her head, got it?"

"Understood, Captain." God, it felt so strange hearing that title in a positive light come out of her mouth. Percy looked away from Zora and to Mera.

"I guess I have no choice, then," Mera chuckled darkly. She raised her good arm and beckoned, " _ Indus! _ "

Suddenly, Percy felt the ship rock violently, and she would've fallen over were it not for Zora grabbing her hand. She smiled. "I gotcha."

Percy smiled in return, and regained her balance.

The ship rumbled as a large wave collided with the Sundial, and out came a giant, serpent-like creature emerging from the depths. Its scales were the color of the sunset, fading to white near the head and to black at the sharp finned tail.

"No way…" Zora mumbled, masking her mild fear. "Beisht Kione…!"

The Beisht Kione towered above them, and the pirates felt water splash on their face. The dreaded sea monster curved its large head down and unhinged its jaw, letting out an ear-deafening howl. Its teeth were as sharp as daggers, and Percy couldn't help but hold the fear of losing her life to this  _ thing… _

"Indus, Scatter Gun!" Mera demanded in a shout. The beast, Beisht Kione, or "Indus" as Mera put it, aimed its jaw to the bowsprit at the front of the ship. In an instant, the creature bit it off, releasing the golden jib and staysail from the bow. They flew in the wind, barely hanging on to the foremast. 

The Beisht Kione crushed it with it's sharp teeth, before letting out a roar, causing the broken wood to fly down onto Percy and Zora.

Zora barely dodged the largest piece and tackled Percy down as well to avoid any damage. But Percy still felt something sharp pierce her upper arm. It dug deep, hitting her right in the nerves. She felt herself yell in pain.

"Shit!" Zora shouted as she got back up, not noticing Percy's pain. She quickly looked around the deck, her eyes landing on the stairs. Without a moment of hesitation, she ran over to the stairs.

"Zora! What are you doing?!" Ramsey shouted down to her as he pulled the wheel to his right with all his might. The wind betrayed his turning, forcing him in place.

"Trust me!" Zora said back as she ran downstairs. Ramsey swore to the wind.

Percy got back up and aimed around Beisht Kione, her body swaying back and forth as she dashed around. Sudden rain began to pour, like it was summoned by the beast.

She was about to shoot Mera, who had been gripping her arm to prevent any more blood, standing up as well, when the creature became face to face with her. It opened its mouth again and was about to swallow her whole when a boom rang its way across the coast.

The beast wriggled around, it's body shriveling as it roared out in alarm. Percy took it as a chance to look down at where the suffering had originated from. Below her was a giant hole in Beisht Kione's stomach, aligned with an open, wooden window below deck.

"A cannon, of course!" Percy exclaimed, rejoiced.

The sea monster sank just low enough to show Mera. As Percy raised the gun, they shared a glace. Mera shared a look of fright, and Percy hesitated.

"I'm sorry…"

A bullet was heard as Mera fell backwards onto the cliff, blood dripping from the right side of her forehead where her hair met her face.

Percy looked up at where the bullet had come from. Ramsey had shot it, him holding a larger gun in his hand. He turned his head to Percy.

"You're lucky I had some gunpowder left," he grinned in triumph.

Percy nodded, sharing the same sentiments. "Thank you, Ramsey."

The beast shifted back and swivelled around to the selkie, who had reformed into a seal once more. It coiled itself around the cliff with the last of its strength, and in a moment, Beisht Kione shrunk into a man, his muscular chest open by a gap. Blood poured violently from the hole as he laid down next to Mera and held her in bloody arms.

The sky cleared up, revealing a bright, seemingly long forgotten sun.

Zora made her way back up to the deck and dashed over to Percy.

"Yo, so what did I miss?" she asked. Percy ignored the question. She just watched as the seal and Beisht Kione passed away on the bloody rock as Zora let out an "oh".

The look of fear on Mera's face before she died, longing for life. Percy couldn't help but feel sympathy. At the same time, she also couldn't help but thank whoever had granted her life.

Percy turned to Zora but was struck with the pain from her arm. She was tempted to grab ahold of it, but that could make it worse.

"Wait, holy fuck, what happened?" the captain questioned, concern dripping down her body along with the water.

"When you tackled me, this piece of wood punctured my arm… I have experienced worse…"

"Yeah, I don't doubt that, but you should still get that taken outta you," Zora furrowed her brows. She grabbed a hold of Percy's good arm and pulled her back to the deckhouse. Zora looked up at Ramsey, who now had control over the ship. They each nodded to each other, seemingly reading each other's minds, Percy noticed.

Zora carefully opened the door and led Percy to a corner of the room, opposite to the wardrobe. A large bed laid there, with a tossed-over red blanket decorated with a woven sun dangling to the floor. Zora guided her to the bed and sat her down. She gently held out Percy's arm.

"This may hurt," Zora said before yanking out the piece of wood. Percy recoiled, only for Zora to take a hold of her arm again. "Stay still."

Zora sighed, staring directly at Percy. "Yer' also gonna need ta' take off yer' shirt. The wound is too high ta' roll up yer' sleeve.

"Oh, alright."

"Wow, you took that better than I expected."

"Well, you've already seen me bare, and this is for the good of my health."

"True, true."

Percy removed her shirt and held out her arm again. The other woman began to slowly pluck out the stray pieces of wood.

"Now, then," Zora grabbed a nearly empty rum bottle and a spare cloth, and poured the remaining rum onto it, "I heard if you rub alcohol onto a wound, it'll heal faster."

"I don't believe that's how it wo--agh!" Percy groaned as Zora pressed the alcohol-soaked towel onto her arm. She sighed as the captain continued. Once that was done, she tore off the bottom of her shirt, showing off her stomach's golden tattoos, and wrapped it around the wound.

"There we go, and lemme getcha a new shirt. I don't want you ta' be wearin' somethin' ripped," the taller woman walked over to the wardrobe.

"That's...offly ironic coming from you," Percy commented, which was followed by a shiver as the wind from the open back window blew onto her freckled skin. Zora ignored the comment.

"Huh… Looks like we're all outta shirts."

"What? Am I to walk around shirtless or something of the like?"

"I still have dignity, don't worry. Here," Zora started as she walked over to the table and picked up her coat. "You can wear this."

Zora walked over to the blonde woman and sat down next to her again. She wrapped the coat around her, allowing Percy to slip her arms through the oversized sleeves. Once it was fully buttoned, Percy couldn't help but feel a strange warmth inside. The coat itself was warm, no doubt about it, but this was a different type of warm. It was unfamiliar to her, really.

"That's better. And I gotta say, you look nice in my coat. Like one of us," Zora tacked on the last part like it was a last-minute decision.

"It...runs in my blood," Percy murmured, which was followed by a chuckle leaving Zora's mouth. She ruffled Percy's fluffy hair.

"That's the spirit," she smiled and laughed. Percy let out a forced laugh to follow. She slung her arm over Percy's shoulders again. "Now, how 'bout we celebrate  _ the slaying of Beisht Kione and Mera the selkie _ ? Done by my dearest darling!"

Percy was about to say Ramsey was the one to slay Mera, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Whatcha want, Murdoch?" Zora asked.

Ramsey opened the door. He looked around and noticed the two barely illuminated by a still-lit candle.

"Hey, so," Ramsey rubbed his neck, "I don't mean to interrupt whatever  _ this _ is, but I left the boat going wherever, like you want, but so far we're heading southeast."

"That should bring us to...Spain, right?" Zora smiled. "Maybe I'll see my pops! He's a pretty cool guy. He's a pirate too, hidin' in the shadows dressed as a composer. I mean, I didn't get my fantastic singing talents from nothin'!"

"Fascinating…" Percy mumbled. It was true, Zora did have a nice singing voice. Maybe too nice.

"Maybe when we get there, we can get more information, yeah?" Zora said with an odd amount of excitement Percy didn't expect.

"Yeah, sounds good. I need a change of food too. And maybe some new clothes," Ramsey commented.

Percy wondered if it was worth it to escape, to see if there was anywhere that would guide her back to London. But for some reason, she felt oddly bonded to Zora. Frighteningly so.

She pushed it aside. They're helping her find her family, and that was enough of a reason on its own. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your support, and expect more writing in the future! Also, I'm making Zora's father an actual person, so if you know some history about famous people of Spain, then you may pick up on who it is.


	7. Questions & Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the wait, I hope you don't mind. Thank you for checking in on me, it means a lot! My power went out for a while due to some windstorms, but I'm okay. Hopefully the length makes up for lost time. I was planning more, but I'll probably save it for next chapter.
> 
> Also a trigger warning just in case, there is very heavy drinking to the point of alcoholism. Just in case you're wary of that.

Despite her initial reluctance, Percy had a surprisingly nice time on the ship, chatting with Zora and Ramsey like they were old friends. They all ate together, which, according to Ramsey, was a rarity on the ship. Percy took some time cleaning the deckhouse, clearing the rotten food and sweeping the dusty floors as if it were her own home. It was oddly calming, seeing two people having a criminal background be so kind to a guest; much less one they kidnapped. Though, every now and then throughout the days, Percy thought of the selkie.

The look on Mera’s face before she was killed was one of pure fright, terror, and in a way, guilt. Or at least from what Percy could tell. Percy wasn’t fluent in the ways of complex emotions, especially near death. The only time she had ever been close to death was when she was spared from the gallows, and she could only faintly remember the last moments of it.

Currently, they were all sitting on the starboard side. The wind blew heavily, as loud as thunder, ringing through Percy’s ears as she sat. Zora was casually talking to Percy about her father, all the while her long, dirty hair kept flying into Ramsey’s face. At some point during the conversation, Ramsey had given up and laid on the deck to stare up at the sky parallel to the ocean. 

Zora was rambling about as drunk as, well, a pirate. Her father was apparently a talented composer of such, primarily in the art of baroque. Percy knew little about music, but attempted to follow along the best she could.

“Alright, alright, but listen,” Zora’s sentence was interrupted by a hiccup, “he is the one guy I want at my weddin'. It ain't matter who else goes there, I want him ta' be my best man."

"Oh, so you're thinking about marriage now? And who'd be the lucky one to marry a dirty, messy pirate who drowns herself in rum everyday?" Ramsey spoke from the floor, waving his arms in the air. Zora threw a bottle, barely missing him and falling off the edge.

"I may be  _ dirty  _ and  _ messy _ and  _ a pirate _ ," she shouted with a laugh and took a large swig from her bottle, "but I still got a heart, and you know what? Ramsey, you'll be sorry when you grow up alone--"

"I'm 34, I'm already grown up."

"--while I'm sailin' the seas with the love of my life, singin' along ta' our own little love song!"

Percy felt herself growing stiff. Before she could get up, Zora hooked her arm around her shoulders like she was some fish on a line and held her close. Her face heated up slightly.

"Ya' see her right here, Ramsey?" she shouted and pointed to Percy.

"Yep, I definitely see her…"

" _ She's _ gonna be the one I get ta' marry. My darling, my dearest~!"

Zora swung her from side to side and took another drink, then began singing the same song Percy had woken up to not too long before.

"You said that the last time someone was onboard."

Percy began to slowly pry each of her grimey fingers off her shoulder as the other woman chugged the remaining alcohol between words.

"Zora, you're intoxicated. Perhaps you should rest--"

"Hush, now," the captain poorly coaxed as she brought her face closer, her rum-soaked breath filling Percy's senses. The blond couldn’t help but gag. Zora laughed, "Keep yer' pretty little mouth shut, Darling, and drink some too. Then we can both feel good…~"

" _ Okay _ , back to the cabin with you," Ramsey got up and tugged on Zora's arm, ripping her away from Percy, knocking over empty bottles. He gave a look at Percy as he dragged the captain away to the deckhouse. Percy could faintly see Ramsey toss her onto the bed through the broken glass. She heard the man say something along the lines of how she was being far too creepy and should just rest.

Ramsey walked back, wiping his hands on his shirt. He sat back down.

“Uh-... I’m really sorry for that. Sometimes she gets extra drunk and says some...things.”

Percy sighed. “Do you think... Do you think she meant what she said?”

“Hmm…” Ramsey thought, “Probably not. Like I said, the last person on board got in the same situation. To be honest, when this is all over, it’s best you never see her again.”

Percy for some reason felt...disappointed. Or at least she thought. Such emotions were uncommon, especially in the context. Her hand twitched. She looked out to the sea.

“Well, how about we change the subject?” the man suggested as he started organizing the nine empty bottles (eight of which for Zora) into a tower.

“Oh, alright. That reminds me, I’m curious,” Percy turned to him. “Why, or rather  _ how _ were you blackmailed? If you don’t mind me asking.”

He stiffened up, then relaxed and sighed. “Well, if we hopefully never see each other again, I guess there’s no point hiding it. The short answer is that I... _ kind of sort of _ was the fault of someone really important to her’s death. And though we made up--I think--you could say she wanted ‘revenge’. She’s that type of person, y’know? So she blackmailed me by threatening to turn me to the guards.”

Percy stayed silent.

“And if you know me, you know I absolutely hate guards.”

Her face perplexed.

“I-I mean, no offense to you,” Ramsey waved his hands. “I mean, you’re not like them.”

“What do you mean ‘I’m not like them’?” Percy questioned, her eyebrows furrowing.

“I mean-- Look, the guards are worse than they seem. You may not realize it, but seriously. They threaten people and will even kill them if they are out of line. To the gallows with anyone who slightly disobeys them. It doesn’t matter who, they will kill anyone who gets in their way. Of course, if you’re royalty, they won’t lay a finger on you, but still.”

“That’s...not possible. I know many well rounded guards, there is  _ no possible way _ they are like that.”

“How long have you been in their workforce?”

“Oh... Perhaps two or three years.”

“And do you ever see them outside of your once daily visits?”

“Well...no.”

“See, your whole life is a lie.”

Percy froze in place.

Ramsey froze as well, then sighed and fiddled with his eyepatch. “Look, I didn’t mean it like that. Sorry.”

She sighed and began to rapidly tap her finger onto the wood. They each fell silent, the only noise being the strong winds rolling over the sapphire water. Both averted eye contact, staring down at the floor. Percy gripped onto the cuff of Zora's coat.

“It’s...alright. You’re right.” She looked out to the sea. She could faintly spot another flock of seagulls floating along the clear wind. Beyond, there was nothing. Just the sky, the sea, and them. “I have been living under a dark blanket, broken from the truth.”

“...What?”

“It’s a metaphor. In my free time, I would read what one may refer to as 'fine literature.'”

“Ha... I wish I could read.”

Percy was about to ask about that as well, but was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot shooting through glass. A bullet flew past Percy, barely missing Ramsey’s nose. The bullet collided with the gold-decorated wood railing.

“Gyyaah!” he exclaimed in alarm as he fell back. Percy turned her head to the source of the noise. She could see Zora swaying around, singing along to some sort of song she had randomly come up with.

“Ugh, she found more rum. Okay, hold on,” Ramsey got up and picked up an empty bottle. Percy followed him as he walked over and opened the door. He closed it before she could enter, blocking her out.

There was a crash of the bottle, followed by a thump. Percy looked through the now completely shattered window. Zora was slumped onto the floor, Ramsey standing above her. In his hand was the remains of the bottle. He looked up at Percy and gave her a thumbs up.

“That should knock her out until we arrive.”

Percy slowly opened the door and walked in. Sure enough, there were more bottles along the table and floor. Some were completely dry, likely being subject to her early on in the day.

“Are you sure she’s alright..?”

“Eh, she’s fine. She once raided a winery and drank every single bottle they had. Of course she did get sick afterwards, but she turned out fine. For the most part, at least.”

_ For the most part..? How is she still alive? She must have some sort of inhuman strength. Odd... Well, I'm glad she’s fine. _

“Oh, I see how it is.”

“Huh?”

“You were thinking out loud. Couldn’t you hear?”

Percy paused, and her cheeks warmed up. She was sure Ramsey could faintly see the pink dust that decorated her freckles in the candlelit room. “...What?”

“I know what you’re thinking. Literally. I’ve noticed; I’m smarter than I let on, you know.”

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“Oh, please,” he started as he waved his rather unsanitary hand, dirt crawling underneath his torn and slightly crushed nails, “you may not realize it, but I sure did.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

He let out a singular “ha!”, then continued. “It’s clear as the windows of the king’s palace. You clearly feel something towards her.”

“Pardon?” her face shone puzzlement.

“ _ Come on _ , you acted all sad and disappointed when I said she likely didn’t mean what she said. I saw you blush as she put her coat on you  _ and _ when she pulled you closer earlier.”

“I did feel a str...  _ No. _ This isn’t right. This is purely confidential.”

“Really? Says who?” he crossed his arms.

“Well... Me, I suppose. Now and forward.”

“Sure, sure, keep telling yourself that,” Ramsey finished as he walked out. “Keep an eye on her, alright? You’re the one she’d be looking forward to more.”

“But didn’t you just say it was…” Ramsey had closed

the door when she was mid-sentence, “...not true...?”

She stared down at the woman. Her face was partially on the floorboards, her body spread across like some sort of dancer. It felt all too similar, if she was being honest.

She pushed it aside.

Percy leaned down and picked up the surprisingly light woman. She carried her over to the bed and gently laid her over the mattress.

Did she really like her that way? She wasn’t quite sure. That pirate was grimy and gross and a  _ criminal _ , but at this point, she was one too. It was true, her body had grown to fit the aesthetic of such a person. She couldn't help but feel a bit disgusting. Finding herself in a limited time was...harsh. This woman, Zora Salazar of all people, for some reason made her feel more...authentic. More like “herself”. It felt so strange hearing that in her head.  _ Ha... To think I am a pirate. How ridiculous. _

But here she was, standing in front of a pirate, feeling such an immense  _ guilt _ . If she  _ were _ to leave, she would leave this sort of newfound family behind. Having a “newfound family” made her feel sick. It made her feel like she was a different person.

She was, at this point.

She stopped her pondering and looked around the room, trying to find something to do. Spotting a book on the table, she walked over to it.

The book was brown leather, decorated in gold, with a matching sun imprinted onto the cover. She picked it up and dragged her finger down the leather, then slid the chair over to the bed. Sitting down, she opened the cover.

The first page had the name “Juan García de Salazar” in such beautiful cursive it was almost illegible. She turned to the next page.

At the top of the page was a date. It was only a year,  _ 1681 _ . The rest of the text was written in a language she wasn’t familiar with. Purely in what she assumed was Spanish. The only words she completely recognized was one name.

_ Zora Salazar. _

“This must be her father, then…”

She also recognized some loan words, managing to make out “pirata” and “música.” This most definitely fits the description, from what she could tell. 

She flipped through, though that was all she could make out through the fading calligraphy decorated on the stained paper. Two names and a few words.

She continued to look around the room, but found nothing of interest. So she turned back to Zora.

Zora's face was peaceful, yet so deathlike. It was strange seeing the rather loud woman in such a slumber. Like she was floating in water, drowned out into her own void.

With a careful hand and slight hesitation, Percy brushed some of her hair from her nose, clearing her face.

She leaned closer, but immediately regretted it after the captain's breath hit her face. Again. That alcoholic breath… Disgusting. Percy couldn't understand the liking of a toxic drink like that, though she remembered those words the pirate had spoken that morning.

Not only that, but also a shiny object.

"Do I still have it?" she asked no one but herself.

Percy remembered how her coat was still downstairs. So she left the room to find that one shimmering, sun-like sphere.

The golden pearl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I may go on a short break for a few reasons: a new school semester, planning the story, and also some other projects. I'll still be writing it, there's just no set schedule. I hope you understand.
> 
> Thank you for such kind words and kudos as always, you guys are the best!
> 
> (Also, like I said, Zora's father in this is a real man and his age may or may not play a large role in the story.)


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